Italian auto groups agree to 6.6% salary raise

MILAN, Italy — Italy's largest automotive groups, led by Stellantis, and unions on Friday signed an agreement for an overall 6.6-percent salary increase over the 2025-2026 period for their workers in Italy, further helping them cover the inflation peak in recent years.

A first 3.7-percent increase will take effect from this month, while wages will rise by further 2 percent from January next year and 0.8 percent from November 2026, the companies involved and metalworker unions said in separate statements.

The agreement covers over 60,000 workers in Italy at Stellantis, Ferrari, Iveco and CNH, all of which have their roots in the former Fiat group.

No strike was called during the six-month negotiation period leading to the deal.

Workers will also receive two one-off sums of 240 euros ($274) each, at the end of this month and in April next year, they said.

Friday's deal is part of a broader four-year renewal of the labor contract the companies and unions signed in 2023, which however left salary adjustments for the final two years to be negotiated at a later stage.

An agreed pay increase had amounted to over 11 percent over 2023-2024, when Italy's inflation topped 10 percent. With increases announced on Friday, the total salary boost at the end of the four-year period will amount to 18.7 percent, the unions said.

Gianluca Ficco of trade union UILM said that was a remarkable achievement.

It “has ensured the full recovery of [lost] purchasing power in a very difficult context, of high inflation and of crisis for the automotive industry,” he said.

“We think this agreement can become an example of positive labor relations for the whole metal-mechanic sector.”

Giuseppe Manca, Stellantis' HR head for Italy, said in a statement parties involved had shown a strong commitment to reaching an agreement in the context of participatory labor relations.

Manca said that, despite persisting uncertainties about the time frame of energy transition and European Union policies, “we have together found solutions to adequately protect the interests of workers while guaranteeing the competitiveness of the company in the country.”

Ferrari, Iveco and CNH also welcomed the agreement. Truckmaker Iveco said in its statement the agreement came at a “considerable” economic effort for the company.